Aug 18
Mortgage Rates Roll Back Mortgage rates continue on a low streak this week, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaging its low for the year, 4.12 percent. It’s the same low the 30-year rate mortgage reached in May as well as during a week in July, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. …
Aug 08
Ways to Get an Offer Accepted There are four rules home buyers should follow if they want sellers to accept their offer. Be nice: While money is important, buyers should also be likable and avoid making negative comments about the house or discussing their renovation plans in front of the seller, keeping in mind …
Aug 07
Applications Boost Loan Demand As mortgage rates hover nearly yearly lows, more home owners are viewing it as the last opportunity to take advantage by refinancing and lowering their borrowing costs. An increase in applications for refinancing last week helped overall mortgage applications reverse course and post a rise for the week ending Aug. 1, …
Aug 06
For Every $1K Price Hike You Sideline 200K Buyers For every $1,000 increase in the cost of median-priced new homes, an estimated 206,269 households are pushed out of the market, according to a new study by the National Association of Home Builders. The study finds that government regulations imposed on the construction industry — …
Aug 05
Housing Slowdown Could Be Good for Buyers The growing signs of a slowdown in the housing market might be good news for home buyers. Slowing home prices—after the double-digit increases last year—mixed with still-low interest rates are making homes more affordable. Also, the supply of homes for sale today represents 5.8 months of demand, …
Aug 04
Mortgage Rates Hover at Yearly Lows Mortgage rates have remained mostly steady in recent weeks, keeping borrowing costs near 2014 lows, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. Freddie Mac reports the following national averages for mortgage rates for the week ending July 31: 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 4.12 percent, with an average …
Aug 01
Things never to say to a client Real estate agents should never tell clients that they only check their messages, emails, and phones during business hours. Rather, they should inform clients of the best times to reach them and indicate that they will respond within a certain amount of hours. Additionally, clients should never …
Jul 31
Where’s the Nation’s Safest Metro? Hint: There’s No Kids The fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States has 110,000 residents, 42 golf courses, and more golf carts than New York has taxis. The Villages, Fla., whose population is largely made up of retirees over 55, is a retirement community that has sold more than 50,000 …
Jul 30
Home Sales Take Unexpected Turn Following three consecutive months of gains, pending home sales slipped 1.1 percent in June, the National Association of REALTORS® reports. NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, was at 102.7 in June, down 7.3 percent from year-ago levels. Any reading above 100 on the index …
Jul 29
Increase in FHA Fees are Sinking Deals The Federal Housing Administration’s rate increases in mortgage insurance have caused buyers to walk away and transactions to fall through, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ second Survey of Mortgage Originators, which includes questions to lenders about the impact of changes to the FHA program. In recent years, …
Jul 28
Get Home Buyers Moving? What’s finally getting some home buyers off the sidelines? A recent poll of more than 1,000 prospective home buyers conducted by Discover Home Loans asked what changed to finally move them into the home buying process. Here were their top 10 most common responses: “I needed a bigger home”: 25% “I …
Jul 25
Fastest-Moving Real Estate Markets Austin is hot, and we’re not talking temperature. The Austin, Texas, metro area has the fastest moving real estate market in the U.S., according to ZipRealty’s second quarter report, with properties spending a median of 10 days on the market. ZipRealty analyzed housing market trends in 23 metro areas across the …
